Carpet and method of producing same



P 1959 FRANZ-TONI WOLFF 2,904,871

CARPET AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fiied July 17, 1956 IN VEN TOR. PEA/v2 TON/ 14/01. F

ATTOENEYS.

Sept. 22, 1959 FRANZ-TONI WOLFF 2,904,871

CARPET AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed July 17, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \Q 8 3* A l I ((1.

11.1 III-I g I I ll l FIG. 12.

IN VEN TOR. FEA/VZ- TON/ WOL FR 7 I BY United States Patent CARPET AND METHOD or PRODUCING SAME Franz-Toni Wolff, Wurttemberg, Germany, assignor of {23gb percent to Jonathan F. Cassel, Fort Douglas,

Application July 17, 1956, Serial No. 598,389

8 Claims. (Cl. 28-15) The present invention is concerned with a novel carpet, elements for forming the carpet and method of producing the carpet.

The principal object of the invention is to provide carpets having a thick pile with many passageways for air provided therethrough and which carpet can be rolled, crumpled or washed without permanent deformation or wholly or partially disassembled into individual tuft sections and reassembled using the same or additional tuft sections as desired.

A further and equally important object of the invention is to provide a novel tuft section which can quickly and easily be produced and interconnected with further tuft section for forming carpets of solids colors or varylng designs and shapes and in which one or more of the tuft sections can be removed and replaced or the design or contour of the rug modified all without requiring special machines, tools, or skill.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a skeleton for carpets serving to hold the fiber pile together in interchangeable relationship and novel individual frames capable of detachable connection for forming said skeletons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for forming a carpet without requiring special looms or tools or particular knowledge and which method can be followed in producing carpets of various shapes, sizes and designs as well as modifying or repairing such carpets when desired.

Still further objects will be in part pointed out and in part obvious in the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a frame partly in section and yarn in the initial phase of forming a tuft section according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the frame arms with the yarn of a. tuft section wound thereon and sewn along one arm according to a second phase of the method for producing a tuft section.

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the yarn upon one frame arm at the cutting of the loops thereof during a third phase of the present method.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a frame arm with cut looped yarn and a tuft frame for receiving said yarn.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a tuftframe when disconnected.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a frame arm, looped yarn and frame during the transfer of the yarn to said frame during a fourth phase of said method.

Fig. 8 is a top view of a complete tuft section as initially formed.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a tuft section with the cut loops forming a pile.

Fig. 10 is a bottom view of a portion of a carpet provided by a plurality of interconnected tuft sections.

2,904,871 Patented Sept. 22,

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detailed view of the interconnection of three tuft section frames; and

Fig. 12 is a reduced perspective view from above of an example of a rug including the present tuft sections and produced according to the present method.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, there is shown in Fig. 1, by way of example only, a support for use in forming a helical coil of thread sufficient for forming a tuft section of a carpet and which support consists of a block 1 having a pair of spaced apart recesses 2 and 3 each for receiving an end portion of a rod 4 or rod 6 whereby the yarn 7 can be coiled around said rods with each coil bearing against the adjacent coils thereof. Rod 4 has an opening 5 in one end portion for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

Yam 7 is coiled around rods 4 and 6 either manually or by using a suitable machine until a sufficient length of coiled material is assembled thereon for forming the tuft section. The rods 4 and 6 which extend substantially parallel to one another retain the coils 8 stretched apart whereupon a sewing machine or like means can be employed to form a row of stitching 9 along a marginal portion of said coils adjacent to and substantially parallel to rod 4 forming loops 1t around said rod while joining coils 8 together.

When it is desired to form cut loops carpet piles, rod 6 is removed from coils 8 and a cutting instrument 11 employed to sever the end portions of said coils opposite to stitching 9.

Cut or uncut coils 8 are then ready for forming the tuft section of the carpet. In combination therewith, a wire like frame of metal, plastic wood or other materials which is relatively rigid as compared to the threads 7 provides a tuft section frame. As shown in the present drawing said frame is of a triangular configuration and is shown in this form merely as one example of the shape thereof, but may consist of an open end structure frame of a relatively thin cross section and may be round, rectangular or of other geometric configurations. The essential feature thereof is that it has open ends adjacent one another, can extend through the center of loops 10, and has an extension capable of connection to one or more similar frames in such a manner that all of said frames can be interconnected and will extend in a substantially similar plane. Frame 15 is an example of such a frame for meeting these requirements and is of a wire-like material having a straight bottom from the ends of which extend sides 16 and 17 at substantially right angles to said bottom while the pair of said sides 18 and 20 respectively extend inwardly towards one another in the conventional triangular configuration. Side 18 has a hook 19 formed in the end portion thereof which is capable of being hooked onto the end portion 21 of side 20 for detachably connecting said end portions together. End portion 21 further has a helical extension 22, the axis of which extends substantially at right angles to the bottom of the frame.

Hook 19 has a further purpose in that upon withdrawing rod 4 from block 1, hook 19 can engage the eye 5 of rod 4 whereupon loops 10 of the thread can be slid along said rod and onto frame 15 until the sides and bottom of said frame are completely encased as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, whereupon hook 19 is disengaged from eye 5 and hooked onto end portion 21 whereupon the coils 8 are retained on the frame and upon pushing the same together so that they extend from one side of said frame, coils 8 form a tuft section with said frame and a portion of a carpet pile as shown in Fig. 9. Frame 15 retains the mounted loops 10 spaced apart leaving an opening as shown in Fig. 8. The free ends of the coils 8 will bunch together even though the loops are so spaced and while a solid pile surface is presented by said coils, there is nevertheless an opening which permits air to pass through said coils in use or after having been washed or cleansed.

A plurality of tuft sections as shown in Fig. 9 are formed and each section may be formed from a thread of single or multiple colors and various sections may be formed of threads of the same color or varying colors whereby when assembled together they present a carpet pile of a solid coloration, varying colors or of a design. To so assemble the tuft sections for forming the carpet, a series of said tuft sections can be placed side by side with the coils 10 pushed aside exposing frame sides 16 and 17 so that the exposed sides of adjacent frames can be placed contiguous to one another as shown in Fig. 10 with their bases extending along a similar straight line. A second similar series of said frames can be joined to said first mentioned series by entwining the helical extension 22 of each frame around the exposed contiguous sides 16 and 17 of two further frames so that said sides 16 and 17 extend through the bore of extension 22 which encircles the same as shown in Fig. 11. Said helical extension 22 is of a diameter for closely receiving sides 16 and 17 therein so that said sides are joined to the apex of the connecting frame. After two such series of said frames have been so joined, successive series of frames are similarly connected to the sides 16 and 17 of the previously connected series until a sufficient length of carpeting has been formed. The resulting coils 8 all extending in one direction provide a resilient carpet piling which can be as thick as desired depending upon the length of the coils 8 and while the frames are completely hidden by such piling, they retain the carpet in the shape desired under severe use and yet due to the resiliency of each extension 22 permit the carpet to be readily rolled, crumpled and washed, but will spring back to its fiat configuration upon being placed upon a fiat surface.

The present carpet can be lengthened or shortened as desired by at any time adding or taking away tuft sections. Also such sections can be removed from any portion of the carpet in order to eifect exchange or replacement of other tuft sections for making the carpet or for changing the appearance thereof by simply disengaging extension 22 of the sections joining the section to be removed and replacing the same with a similar or different section. The assembly, disassembly or partial disassembly of a carpet made in accordance with the present invention does not require special machines, looms or even special skill in forming or disassembling the same. However it is obvious that the coils 8 could be readily formed by a machine and placed upon frames 15.

The term thread has been employed in reference to the member 7, but it is to be appreciated that this member may be formed equally as well of a yarn or the like of wool, cotton, hemp, straw or the like and therefore the term thread as used in this application is to be considered as encompassing such other material or shapes of the material. Similarly, the term carpet as employed is likewise to be considered as including all types of floor, wall and furniture coverings employing threads in the formation thereof and including mats and rugs.

The present carpet elements, the resulting carpet produced thereby and the method of forming the tuft sections and the carpet are capable of considerable modification and such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims are deemed to be a part of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A carpet comprising a plurality of wire like frames each of a geometrical configuration and having one end of each frame being detachably connected to the other end of said frame, the other end of each frame having a configuration for entwining a portion of at least one other of said frames and threads connected to each frame with the threads of all frames positioned forming a carpet pile.

2. A carpet comprising a plurality of wire like frames each of a triangular configuration and having one end of each frame having a hook shaped configuration being hooked to and detachably connected to the other end of said frame, the other end of each frame having a helically shaped end portion detachably entwining a portion of two adjacent frames connecting the three frames together, and looped threads encircling said frames forming a carpet pile.

3. A tuft section for combining with similar sections to form a carpet comprising a bent wire like member having one end with a hook shape being detachably hooked to the other end of said member, said other end of said member having a configuration for entwining portions of similar members, threads extending in the same general direction from said member and said threads having a looped portion encircling said members.

4. A frame forming a carpet element comprising a relatively stiff member bent with open ends adjacent one another, said member ends being capable of being detachably connected, and an extension carried by said member capable of connection to other frame members.

5. A frame forming a carpet element comprising a relatively stiif member bent with open ends adjacent one another, said member ends being capable of being detachably connected, said member having substantially straight portions capable of being positioned contiguous with similiar portions of other members and a helical extension carried by said member capable of entwining the contiguous similar portion of two adjacent members.

6. A frame forming a carpet element comprising'a wire like member bent to a substantially triangular configuration with adjacent ends and having a portion of the sides thereof extending substantially at right angles to the base thereof whereby like members side portions can be positioned contiguous, means'for detachably connecting said ends of said member and a helical extension provided by one end of said member capable of entwining contiguous side portions of adjacent like members.

7. A method of forming a carpet consisting in forming a series of thread loops in a substantially straight line upon at least one support, stitching said loops along substantially a straight line connecting opposite sides of said loops together, placing a relatively rigid open end member through each of said loops between said stitching and an end of each loop, and interconnecting said members with said loops thereby forming a carpet pile.

8. A method of forming a carpet tuft consisting in Winding a thread forming a helix thereof, stitching said thread along a marginal portion thereof providing a series of loops, placing a relatively stifi open end support through said loops, and closing the ends of said support with said thread extending in the same general direction from said support to provide a portion of a carpet pile.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gutzmann Dec. 21, 1943 

